José MarÃa Vitier, born on January 7, 1954, in Havana, Cuba, is a Cuban composer, conductor, and pianist. He began his musical education by studying with Cecilia EchevarrÃa and later under Margot Rojas Mendoza. From 1968 to 1975, he attended the Conservatorio Amadeo Roldán and studied under César López. Vitier's early career included teaching at the music school in Matanzas and joining the Grupo Sintesis as a composer and pianist in 1977. He formed his own group in 1983, which performed internationally at festivals in various countries, including Mexico, the USA, Venezuela, Canada, and France. Vitier's compositions for films such as Mascaró, el cazador americano (1992) and Fresa y chocolate (1994) earned him significant recognition, including the Premio Choral and Premio Pananbà awards. His albums Salmo de las Américas (2000) and Canciones del buen amor (2002) were both nominated for Grammy Awards.
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